Plungers are known in the prior art and are customarily used to unclog pipes and plumbing fixtures including, but not limited to toilets.
Pipes and plumbing fixtures, when they are clogged, are usually unclogged using a known plunger that is generally comprised of a circular deformable convexly shaped plunger cup mounted on an elongated handle. During the plunging operation, the circular plunger cup is positioned over the opening of the pipe or plumbing fixture while the plunger handle is reciprocated upwardly and downwardly. The reciprocal motion alternately contracts and enlarges an internal volume defined by the circular convex plunger cup and responsively creates an alternating pressure and suction force in interconnected pipes and plumbing fixtures to dislodge the obstruction clog.
Recently, toilets have been redesigned to conserve water. The newer toilets, as compared to older models, have a substantially reduced water flow (approximately 1.6 gallons per flush) and have a smaller waste drain passage than older toilets. Since the waste drain passages of the newer toilets are narrower, these toilets are more prone to clogging. Conventional plungers are typically too wide to fit into the narrow waste drain passages (also called a waste exit port) of these new toilets, and therefore are difficult to hold in the position for proper effect. Newer toilets also have a siphon jet that is positioned adjacent to the waste exit port opening so as to facilitate a siphon action in the toilet bowl to remove waste therefrom when the toilet is flushed. The siphon jet is a hole through which water from the toilet tank rushes into the toilet bowl to facilitate the siphon flushing. The siphon jet communicates with the toilet tank by means of channels defined in the toilet body.
Positioning a conventional circular shaped cup plunger over the waste exist port of newer toilets causes the plunger to also be placed over the siphon jet. As a result, when the plunger is reciprocally moved to create the alternating pressure and suction forces, those forces are also directed into the siphon jet and associated plumbing fixtures which reduces, perhaps substantially, the pressure and suction forces that are intended to be directed to the waste exit port to remove the clog or obstruction. Conventional plungers are therefore frequently unable to provide sufficient pressure and suction for the purpose of dislodging the obstruction or clog. Further still, conventional plungers are low pressure devices because of their inverted cup-like shape, and the fact the dimensionally largest portion of the plunger is the portion that delivers the pressure and suction to the plumbing fixture.
Another problem related to the configuration of the newer low volume toilets is the physical configuration of the waste exit port. In older models of toilets, the waste exist port was generally circular and concave and located centrally at the bottom of the toilet bowl. As noted previously, older toilets also did not have a siphon jet positioned proximate to the waste exit port. In the newer low volume flush toilets, the waste exit port is a rectilinear depression defined in the bottom of the toilet bowl and the waste drain passage is oriented angularly relative to the bottom of the toilet bowl rather than oriented horizontally and opening upwardly. This modified configuration has enhanced the efficiency of the newer low flow toilets, but has had a negative effect of making conventional plungers less effective at removing obstructions and clogs. It is also made the positioning of such conventional plungers difficult.
In addition to problems related to the newer toilet designs, there are two common problems that frequently occur during plunging operations which are related to the design of conventional toilet plungers. These are “splash back” and “spillover”. The pressure and suction generated during plunging often causes water to spray out of any gaps between the plunger cup and interior bowl surface with great force, and then splash up and outside the toilet bowl onto the plunger operator and onto nearby surfaces. This phenomenon is common when conventional plungers having a circular convex cup design are used in the newer designs of toilets having generally rectilinear shaped waste exit port. Additionally, many times when a toilet is clogged, the water and sewage in the toilet tend to fill the toilets to the brim. Hence, when the toilet plunger head is inserted into the toilet, the displacement of the toilet plunger head causes the toilet water and sewage to spillover the sides of the toilet. This phenomenon is called “spillover”.
In order to overcome the limitations of conventional toilet plungers, what is needed is a toilet plunger that can be used with the newer low flow toilets. This plunger should effectively plunge toilets that have a waste exit port that is difficult to access, including those where the waste exit port is generally rectilinear within the toilet bowl. However, this improved plunger should also be compatible with older toilet models. Furthermore, this plunger should minimize spillage and splash back problems during plunging operations. The plunger should also be simple, capable of being easily fabricated and used, be inexpensive and to be durable.